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James Kitchman: First Quartet
ByHall's lyricism and sophisticated grasp of harmonycharacteristics he shared with pianist Bill Evans, with whom he recorded two magical albums in the early 1960sare echoed in Kitchman's playing. But so too are resonances from multiple diverse sources, including a judiciously applied sonic futurism which brings to mind Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset. So this review spotlights Hall's name not because Hall is Kitchman's most overt influence, but to serve notice of Kitchman's singularity. First Quartet is notas might be anticipated today from a guitar-led London bandan exercise in dancefloor-friendly groove. Instead, it is an elegant and unfashionably erudite album, carefully arranged but allowing plenty of space for improvisation, which without being in any way "difficult," repays the cerebral attention of the listener.
The quartet assembled by Kitchman is completed by three fellow-travelling musicians. Pianist Bruno Heinen, with whom Kitchman has recorded in another setting, is a professor of piano and composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, has eight albums to his name and has worked with the great saxophonists Denys Baptiste and Shabaka Hutchings among other pivotal figures on the London scene. Bassist Tom McCredie's credits include two albums with guitarist Rob Luft and another two with pianist Elliot Galvin, both rising stars. Drummer Shaney Forbes was in 2007 a founder member of in-a-class-of-its-own Empirical, with whom he continues to play.
Other influences cited by Kitchman in his aforementioned pen portrait, and audible on First Quartet, include the melancholic romanticism of Astor Piazzolla and the less-is-more melodic touch of Erik Satie. There is also an audio clip of John Lennon talking about "power to the people" (which in an age of halfwit populism raises challenging questions about which people). All these eclectic ingredients come together in an engaging synthesis.
Postscript: In case you missed it, Germany's recently revived MPS label has in early 2022 reissued Jim Hall's minor masterpiece In Berlin: It's Nice To Be With You, recorded in 1969 with bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Daniel Humair.
Track Listing
Making The World Disappear; World Uncharted; Once For R.A.; Bees; Why Did He Show Her His Face; I Control The Weather; The Melt; Recluse; Connoisseur Of Clouds; First Day.
Personnel
Album information
Title: First Quartet | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Ubuntu Music
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About James Kitchman
Instrument: Guitar, electric
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